


It'd make me love them (you) more

by emsylcatac



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Eventual reveal, F/M, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, ladrien, welcome to the ladrien version of the reject club party yeay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:56:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24634195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emsylcatac/pseuds/emsylcatac
Summary: Both of their love were unrequited. At least, they could be there to support and tease each other about it when things were hard.* * * * *Or the one were Ladybug & Adrien bound over being rejected by their crushes and are just being silly friends.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 39
Kudos: 104





	1. part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Started with a dumb Tumblr post I made and I somewhat got inspired along the way:
> 
> "I know we say that Marichat are the friends supporting each other in their reject parties but what about Ladrien? I feel like they have this exact vibe too but 10 times stupider like:
> 
>  **A:** I’m in love with this girl buuuut she doesn’t love me back  
>  **LB:** Oh wow I’m so…Sorry…Actually I’m in love with this boy but heh…Guess he doesn’t love me either  
>  **A:** Aaawww I’m sorry…We could be reject buddies if you want  
>  **LB:** Yeay, cheers!
> 
>  _ **Both of them:** *crying their eyes out like the dumbasses they are*_"

Ladybug burst out laughing. It was so sudden that all the orange juice she was calmly drinking a second before spilled out from her nose, the liquid running on her face, suit, and even the roof they were sitting on. She tried to stop and hide it with a hand, but everything was made harder by the fact that she was still laughing. 

Adrien laughed at her misery, too.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed, “that’s super gross!”

“It’s okay,” he was still cackling, “it happens even to the best of us!”

She grabbed a napkin and proceeded to wipe her face and suit.

“Though I do wonder,” Adrien went on teasingly, “what would your love-boy think about the _great Ladybug_ spitting orange juice through her nostrils?”

Ladybug groaned and hid her face again while Adrien couldn’t help himself but laugh at her reaction. 

He had noticed that he was more at ease with her than he was with most of his friends, with the obvious exception of Nino—probably due to the fact that he was her partner and knew her more than she realised.

It was nice, this friendship he shared with her as a civilian. Quite unexpected, too. But they had found each other one evening, him brooding on a rooftop —detransforming only to feel the wind through his clothes instead of the suit had maybe not been his brightest idea— and her, wandering around trying to clear her mind. He couldn’t remember how they came to discuss their love life nor how they even came to talk to begin with, but he had learned that just like his, her love was unrequited.

Not that she could know that _she_ was the one he was referring to.

He was always careful to be vague enough and to not talk about her in an accusatory tone. He wouldn’t forgive himself if he did and—it wasn’t her fault, really.

But having her opening up to him about this ‘other boy’? It was a gift. He understood why she wouldn’t do it with Chat Noir—she knew that he was in love with her, after all. But he was still her friend first and foremost. And it killed him to not be able to listen to her talking about it, to have her confiding in him or asking for advices. So if he could be her ear as ‘Adrien’ instead, then he would. 

Even if it meant he had to suffer in silence.

“I think,” Ladybug said after Adrien had calmed down, “I think that he would laugh at me.”

He grinned. “Then I guess that makes him a good person!”

She glared at him, but he could still see traces of blush under her mask as well as a quivering smile she tried to cover with her hand.

“What would you think,” she asked shyly after a few seconds of silence, “if that girl you love did that?”

“You mean, spilling her drink through her nose because she found a joke _I_ made a _little bit_ too funny?”

“Yes.” She bit her lip and looked away, as if not daring to meet his eyes when he would answer.

“I think that it would make me love her even more,” he said, looking at her, and he was sure that his eyes held the softest expression. 

Reserved for her. Always for her.

She quickly met his eyes at that and they smiled at each other—the kind that held a certain pity for the other, and a bit of pain for themselves.

“I think that would make me love him even more, too. If he was making fun of me for it, that is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might add some more chapters of dumbassery if I have the time and the inspiration in the future aha.


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got over ideas and now I'm continuing this; it won't be like a very continuous story, more bits and pieces on different chapters; all chapters are of course following each other and who knows I might eventually do a reveal aha!
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this silly fancy meal in the meantime!
> 
> A big thank you to maketea for beta-reading this part ♥

Adrien sighed. He shouldn’t be complaining. No, really. For as long as he had hoped against hope that he would finally share a meal with his father...

He glanced over at the end of the table, watching him engrossed in a conversation that didn’t seem quite pleasant with Audrey Bourgeois. Probably about fashion—because when was it not about fashion with him?

Invited to luncheon with the mayor. _That_ was the reason why he was eating with his father; not because he had wanted to share one with his son for once. His father, and the Bourgeois. And other important people Adrien had forgotten half the names of. And...

And Ladybug. Who was sat _right_ in front of him.

He was supposed to come with her as Chat Noir. But while his father had refused the mayor’s invitation at first, he had come back on his decision at the last minute after hearing the guests list. Adrien didn’t know his reasons since Gabriel wasn’t famous to enjoy other people’s company, but he couldn’t quite question his decision.

He glanced over at Ladybug. If she, too, was pretending to be interested by talk of some Parisian scandal or another, she was doing a pretty good job at it.

He looked back towards the woman next to him with whom he was making small talk, a model and actress called Lara Colette who apparently ‘knew everything about his mother’. His prayer to escape from the confines of their conversation was finally answered when the woman Ladybug was discussing with decided to talk to Lara instead.

Free from anyone to talk to, Adrien glanced over at Ladybug. She was already looking at him.

They smiled at each other, the kind of secret smile you share with someone you’ve already talked to more than once, the kind that says _oh, you too, you’re thinking the same thing as me: this meal is boring and awkward._

They chuckled silently and averted their eyes. Adrien stretched his feet under the table only to hit— _oh. Ladybug’s_.

He quickly put them back under his chair, as if nothing had happened, and turned his attention to whoever was sitting next to Nathalie. Was he blushing? Probably.

Something hit his right leg. _Hard_. His head snapped back to where it had been and—Ladybug was suppressing silent giggle after giggle, a hand covering her mouth, eyes avoiding his just as he met them.

It was _so_ on.

Adrien blindly kicked his leg in front of him. Score.

Ladybug hit back. 2-1.

He stomped his foot on where he assumed hers was and—missed. He tried to not let his internal groan show on his face.

They discreetly continued to kick each other’s feet back and forth, pretending that everything was perfectly fine but still avoiding the other’s eyes, until Ladybug hit him right in the tibia.

Adrien let out a loud, _“ouch!”_ that echoed across the room.

All conversations fell silent and everyone turned their heads in his direction; Ladybug was looking at him with both hands to her mouth and a shocked expression screaming guilt and self-blame.

“Are you alright, Adrien?” Lara worried.

“What happened, are you hurt?” a man to his left asked.

“Adrien, _what_ exactly is this about?” Gabriel said, and, judging by his icy tone, Adrien guessed that his father was not asking about his wellbeing.

“I just...bit my tongue, sorry,” Adrien mumbled in reply. “Thank you for your concerns, but don’t worry about me.”

Nobody spoke.

“Really, I’m fine,” he added, forcing a smile.

It seemed to work—slowly, everyone relaxed into their previous positions and conversations.

Adrien sighed in relief and looked over at Ladybug.

“Sorry,” she mouthed with a grimace. He chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t worry,” he mouthed back.

Still, he wanted to keep the banter going. He smirked at her, grabbed his glass and made a small motion of throwing his water at her. She pouted, shaking her head. He wiggled his eyebrows, and his smile widened.

It amused him that they could still have a silent conversation together, even without his mask. It warmed his heart.

Suddenly, Ladybug squinted her eyes at the window behind Adrien. “Is that...Is that _Jagged Stone_ in a _helicopter_?” she cried.

Everyone turned to see, Adrien included. He frowned — there was no helicopter in sight. He turned back towards Ladybug and—

She was retracting back from his plate, one piece of salmon on her fork that she quickly shoved into her mouth.

Adrien had to refrain himself from gasping loudly in betrayal and just stared at her, his mouth opened wide. She swallowed _his salmon_ and smiled.

“Where is it?” Audrey asked. “I can’t see anything!”

“Oh, errr... I think I spoke too soon and didn’t see it correctly,” Ladybug laughed awkwardly, “it was probably errrr... a _big pigeon_ flying too close to the window and well... I got confused! I am so sorry to have bothered everyone for nothing!”

Adrien would have been convinced by her tone if he didn’t know any better. He shook his head, threw her a murderous look, and emphatically planted his fork into his remaining salmon before shoving it into his mouth.

Ladybug shot him an innocent smile, looking way too proud with herself while everyone returned to their conversations .

She glanced to either side of her at the people around the table, then craned her neck towards Adrien, a teasing smile on her face.

“If Chat Noir had been here, he would have been the one to prank you,” she whispered.

Adrien had to suppress a laugh. “Oh, you think so?”

“I _know_ so. Or to prank me. And he would have been laughing loud enough for everyone to hear. He can’t sit still to save his life.”

“Really, now?” he replied, amused.

“ _Really_. It would have been funny.” She glanced again at the people surrounding her. “It would have avoided us a _lot_ of boring conversations, too,” she whispered even lower.

Adrien's heart did a somersault at how she was talking about Chat Noir. About _him_ as Chat Noir. He grinned wider than intended, hoping that his cheeks wouldn’t catch fire.

“It _is_ a very boring luncheon. The woman next to me is a _pain to talk to_.” He mouthed his last words.

Ladybug chuckled. “Does your girl know that model Adrien Agreste extraordinaire is only pretending to enjoy the fancy meals he has the honour to be invited to? That your polite attitude is...all an act?”

_‘Your girl’. If only._ She was always referring to her as that; just like he was calling Ladybug’s crush ‘her boy’.

Adrien pondered a few seconds on how to reply.

“I think,” he finally said, “that she would on the contrary most likely be surprised that I can be this patient and pretend to be passionate about everything the people tell me.”

“Really?” she asked surprised.

Adrien almost winked at her. _Almost._

Instead, he smiled. “Yes. _Really._ ”


End file.
